Hamartophobia
by Royal Blue Alchemist
Summary: Bubbles/Him. Him is on a quest for power, but to get what he needs, he has to manipulate the Powerpuff Girls. None of the girls are foolish enough to trust him, but he is determined to get what he desires. However, Bubbles is determined to stop him.
1. The Book of Sins and Virtues

xXx Chapter 1 xXx

xXx The Book of Sins and Virtues xXx

xXx Blossom xXx

In her signature pink and black dress, Blossom walked briskly down one of the many sidewalks of Townsville. Her waist length red hair, still tied in the oversized bow that doubled as a weapon, flowed with the wind. Her large pink eyes carefully scanned the city, looking for any sign of trouble, but all seemed calm for the moment. The summer sun shinned brightly in the cloud splattered sky. The numerous buildings that composed the city cast long shadows, which served as a safe haven from the sun's harsh rays. She walked in those shadows, like most of the other people, but her reasons were quite different from there's. Flying was quicker, but it always attracted too much attention; it made the citizens think that the town was under attack.

Townsville itself hadn't changed much in the passing years. The Powerpuff Girls still had the love and trust of the citizens, with the exception of a few. The Mayor and Ms. Bellum still called on them regularly to save the town. Even though they always won the fight in the end, the cities' structures would feel the effects of the battle. While it was true that the city took regular damage, everything was always built back to its former glory. As her marry jane shoes clicked down the sidewalk, all the apartments, cooperate buildings, and family owned stores looked completely normal and undamaged. It appeared as if the town was never distressed by the occasional explosion or short-lived rampage. To any tourist, it would seem that way. However, the exact opposite was true.

Despite the Powerpuff Girls vigilant resolve to defend the town and its people, the villains and criminals never gave up or backed down. Their persistence to either take control or destroy the town had not faltered with the passage of time. The most annoying of their foes was still Mojo Jojo. The dark furred monkey, with his wrinkled and angry face, still had the fortitude to cause problems for the pink Powerpuff and her sisters. For whatever reason, the old monkey didn't understand that his robots and energy guns did no damage to them. However, he would always come at them with the firm belief that he was going to win—even as he blew up with his weapon of choice.

She beamed happily as she reached her destination; The Townsville Library. As she pushed back the large glass door, the librarians greeted her with smiles. Every librarian knew her by name, which came as no surprise to her sisters. The library itself was vast; it had an area that held the front desks and computers, and behind that was the larger area that held the bookshelves. The entire structure was dimly lit, but individual desks held lamps for better lighting. Instead of traveling back to the bookshelves, she approached the front desk and pulled out her library card.

"Hello, Emma. Do you have the books ready for me?" She eyed a stack of books that were placed beside Emma.

The young woman gathered up the books and pushed them over to her while taking Blossom's card, "All the newest books for this week. Do you want a bag for them?"

Blossom ran her hand along the books and counted ten, "Sure, I—

Her cellphone suddenly went off, but it was the same sound that came from the hotline phone, "What is it, Mayor?" Was her question when she accepted the call.

She listened in silence as the Mayor told her about the current attack on Townsville. Once again, it was Mojo Jojo. She gave a disappointed sighed and grabbed her books, which Emma had just bagged. After giving the librarian a nod of thanks, she kicked off from the ground and flew back out the door. A pink, glittering trail of light followed her as she flew deeper into the city, and it wasn't long before she heard the explosions of Mojo's attack.

xXx Bubbles xXx

The blond haired Powerpuff flew along the side of a red beam, but she did not stay there long. She pulled ahead of it and jerked its unwitting target out of the way. The deadly beam plowed harmlessly into the pavement of the street. Upon being released, the frightened citizen quickly scampered away. She sidestepped as another beam came her way; it added another pothole to her right. Her eyes went back to Mojo, who had mechanical limbs attached to his arms. They were huge masses of overweight steel. It was a wonder how the monkey could lift them. The metal arms were firing off more red beams, but they were not pointed at her. Buttercup zoomed around Mojo in wide circles, laughing at his expense as she did so.

The green Powerpuff threw an insult at him, "Geez, Mojo. After all of these years you still don't know how to aim! Would it help if I stood still?"

Bubbles rose into the air, ready to rejoin her sister, when Blossom's voice caught her attention, "It probably wouldn't, Buttercup."

As Blossom flew by, Bubbles took her place beside her, and they quickly dove down to Mojo. Ignoring his repetitive screams of protest, Bubbles grabbed Mojo's left arm and Blossom took hold of the right. Without any verbal cues, both rose from the ground and pulled at the artificial appendages. With a crackling spark, the pair of robotic arms snapped away from Mojo. Both girls tossed them higher in the air and Buttercup delivered a kick that split them in two. Blossom and Buttercup landed back down as Bubbles caught the falling Mojo.

Gracefully, Bubbles touched down with the fuming monkey still in her grips, "Release me this instant! You shall regret this, Powerpuff Girls—

Buttercup cut off what she knew would be a long rant, "Save it, Mojo, we've heard it a thousand times already. Just stay quiet until the police get here, and then you can go back to your cell. I'm sure it still has your name on it and everything."

The pink eyed criminal muttered curses under his breath as the girls giggled. Suddenly, Blossom stopped and looked around frantically, "Where did they…" without any explanation, she wandered away from them.

Bubbles exchanged a look with Buttercup, who simply shrugged. Blossom zigzagged across the street a few times before picking something up, and then she kicked off from the ground and landed elegantly back in front of them. Buttercup raised an eyebrow, Bubbles tilted her head, and Mojo was glaring at the hand gripping his arm.

She peeked inside the bag before addressing them, "I was just at the library, and I sat my books down before joining the fight," she moved the bag up and down, "it seems heavier…"

Buttercup gave her a blank look as the sound of the crying police cars approached, "That's fascinating, Blossom, it really is."

Blossom looked up from her books and frowned, "My books are fascinating."

Bubbles giggled and Mojo groaned, which didn't go unnoticed by Buttercup, "I didn't ask for your input, Monkey!"

A feral growl erupted from his throat, "I said nothing, little girl! And if I wanted to say something about it, I would say something about it!"

"Sorry, but losers don't get to say things like that. Haven't you learned that yet?" She smirked at him, daring him to retaliate.

His eye twitched, "You may have won this time, but it shall be the last! I will be victorious next time! And when I rule all, I will strip you of your powers and lock you away!"

Buttercup lunged forward, grabbed him by the collar of his cape, and shook him violently, "You want to try it? I dare you to try something, monkey. Come on!"

Bubbles released her grip on Mojo and backed away with an exasperated sigh. She glanced at Blossom, who was doing the same thing. For whatever reason, Mojo had a knack for getting under Buttercup's skin. Finally, with Mojo's screams of protest, Blossom dropped her bag and dragged the two apart. Bubbles giggled at seeing how much Buttercup and Mojo looked like bickering siblings. As Blossom hauled Buttercup away, Bubbles returned to Mojo's side and held him in place. However, she did not have to do so very long. The police cars had finally made it to the scene of the fight. The vehicles came to a screeching stop, and the double doors to the nearest one flew open.

Two uniformed men emerged from the cabin within and briskly walked up to the girls. An overweight man with a bushy mustache pulled out a pair of handcuffs from behind his back and quickly slapped them Mojo's wrists. His mouth was invisible underneath the mustache, but his eyes lit up with the signs of a smile, "Thank you, Powerpuff Girls, we'll take it from here."

His eyes turned hard as he looked back down to Mojo. Wordlessly, the fat officer motioned for his smaller partner to take him away. Roughly, Mojo was thrown into the back of the car and then the doors were slammed shut behind him. Even through the thick plating of the vehicle, Mojo's screams of frustration and annoyance could still be heard.

Buttercup shook herself free from Blossom's hold and turned to the policeman, "Hey, see what you can do about keeping him locked up for longer than a day."

His eyes shifted nervously, "Of course, we'll do what we can." With that, the man waddled away and got back into the car.

As the vehicles moved out, Buttercup snorted, "They always say that, but he breaks out in no time at all."

Blossom smoothed out her dress and picked her bag back up, "That may be true, but it's not like we can't handle Mojo."

Bubbles repressed another giggle, "Besides, if he didn't attack the town every other day, you wouldn't have anyone to push around."

A 'humph' was Buttercup's only reply.

Blossom shook her head and then clapped her hands together, "Well, since we're done here, let's go back home. The Professor will have lunch ready soon."

A smile instantly came back to Buttercup's lips, "I'll race you. Loser has to clean the dishes!" Without waiting for a response, she blasted off.

Both girls followed, but Bubbles called out, "Don't overdo it, Buttercup!"

She gave Bubbles an irritated glance, "What is that supposed to mean?"

Blossom entered her lecture mode, "Remember when we time warped? How Him took over the whole world?"

Bubbles nodded, "Yeah, I'd rather not go through that again."

Buttercup's cheeks flushed, "I remember what happened! I'm not going to get carried away, and I wish you would stop bringing that up." She almost whined the last part.

Blossom pinched the bridge of her nose, "This is the first time we've mentioned it in years."

"Whatever, all I know is that you're going to lose!" As the house came into view, she started to move faster.

Like usual, Buttercup was the first to reach the door, and she was in the middle of her victory dance when Bubbles landed beside her, "I think you need a new dance, Buttercup. That one is getting kind of old."

Buttercup stuck out her tongue at Bubbles as the last sister arrived, "Haha, you lose, Blossom."

As Buttercup pushed the door open, the Professor's voice greeted them from the kitchen, "Hello, girls. Lunch will take a few more minutes."

As all the girls replied with their own greetings, they flew up the steps and into their room. As loudly as she could manage, Buttercup flopped down onto her bed and then stretched out her arms and legs. Bubbles sat on the lower half of the bunk bed that she shared with Blossom and placed Octi on her lap. Blossom ventured over to a desk and dragged all of her books out. As she looked at them, a frown tugged at her lips.

Bubbles was the only one to notice, "What's wrong, did you not get the books you wanted?"

Buttercup pulled her head away from the pillow it was buried in, "What a disaster." She said in a dull voice.

Blossom ignored her sarcastic remark, "No, it's not that. I had ten books when I left the library, but now I have eleven."

Buttercup faked a gasp of horror, "Oh no, what is the world coming to?"

She gave her a displeased look, "All of these books are supposed to be new."

Bubbles shrugged, "Aren't they?"

Buttercup then faked enthusiasm, "Yeah, aren't they?"

She took a book from the center of the pile and held it up for Buttercup to see, "Does this look new to you?"

The book she held was bound in brown, cracked leather. The pages stuck out at odd angles, like they hadn't been put in properly. The leather was so damaged that it was peeling back in strips. If there had been a tittle for the book, it had been weathered away. There was a lock on the book, but it was rusted and hung open; it dangled from the book's surface haphazardly.

Buttercup made a face, "Gross."

Bubbles shrugged, "It's just a little old."

Buttercup buried her head back into the pillow, "I meant the book in general. "

Blossom shook her head, and after sitting down at the desk, she opened the book to the first page.

xXx Him xXx

He looked down at the same beaten and worn cover of the book that Blossom had. The years he spent searching for the book had been tedious, but making a copy of it had been easy. It had been simple enough to ensure that the book ended up in her hands. While the girls were fighting with the imprudent monkey, he had slipped it in with Blossom's other books. His claw tapped thoughtfully on the binding; he wanted to initiate his plan as soon as possible. However, he had to allow the smartest of the Powerpuffs to read the book first. It _could _be done without the book, but that wouldn't be very exciting. The events he had planned would be much more interesting if the girls knew something of what they were doing.

The archaic book, known as "The Book of Sins and Virtues," told of fourteen ancient relics. Seven stone-like objects to represent the Seven Deadly Sins, and seven more for the Seven Virtues. Contained within the stones were the personifications, the living spirits, of each sin or virtue. Individually, each spirit held great power; energy beyond human comprehension. However, when they were brought together, it would give the user ultimate power. The details of the power to be gained were in the back of the book, and he had ripped those away from the copy he had given Blossom. They couldn't know too much.

The reason he needed the girls was simple; he couldn't gather all of the relics himself. Or, more precisely, he could not obtain The Seven Virtues. Since he was a creature that was decidedly un-virtuous, he could not call forth the spirits of righteousness. However, once they were released, he could easily steal them away. After a bit of lying and manipulation, he would have the Powerpuff Girls collecting the virtues for him.

He waved his claw in the air lazily, which revealed the Powerpuff Girls' room, "_And I know exactly which Powerpuff to manipulate._"

xXx Bubbles xXx

After lunch, Blossom had rushed back up to their room to continue reading her mysterious book. Bubbles sat on the edge of the desk and watched Blossom with interest. Blossom said that the book wasn't from the library because it didn't have a card in the back; this made it a curious item. Buttercup, who was listening to music, had as much interest in it as she did before.

After some time, Blossom rose from her slouched position over the book, "It's odd… I've read about a lot of myths and legends, but I've never seen anything like this."

Bubbles tilted her head, "I thought you'd be happy to find something new."

She scratched her head, "It's interesting, but it's just odd. I don't understand how I got it. I called Emma, but she said that she only gave me the ten books."

Buttercup pulled off her headphones, "Are you two _still _talking about that? It's just a book. It isn't going to come to live and start eating people."

Bubbles looked at Buttercup for a moment and then wordlessly turned back to Blossom, "Maybe you should ask the Professor."

She shook her head, "I've already asked him, and he said that he didn't know anything… it would help if I knew what its tittle was, but it's been scratched away from the cover and it's not listed anywhere else in it." Her brows furrowed.

Buttercup ran a hand through her hair and sighed, "If it bothers you so much, then name it yourself."

"I don't want to name it myself. I want to know what its real tittle is."

The green eyed girl groaned, "I wish that thing would turn into a monster and eat me. Or at least you."

Bubbles caught Blossom's attention before she could reply, "Do you think it's dangerous?"

Buttercup hurled a pillow at Bubbles, which she dodged, "It is a book!" She spoke every word with great emphasis.

Blossom slammed the cover shut and gave Buttercup an irritated look, "It may be, but how often have we been able to trust things that just randomly appear?" she glanced at the book, "this could have been sent to us by one of our enemies."

Bubbles eyed the book curiously, "Who would send us a book about a myth?"

Buttercup went to stand by her sisters, "Let's see… we can mark off Fuzzy Lumpkins, the Amoeba Boys, the Gangreen Gang… and Butch, Boomer and Brick."

"What about Mojo?" Bubbles asked

Blossom shook her head, "Mythology doesn't seem to be one of his interests, and besides, I don't think he would have had the time to sneak it into my bag."

Everyone was silent for a moment, and then Bubbles spoke, "What about… Him?"

Both girls looked at her in surprise, but it was Blossom who replied first, "I don't think so. Do you realize that we haven't seen Him in a year?"

Buttercup nodded her head in agreement, "I think it's been longer than a year. Maybe a few years."

"I know. So, he's due for an appearance, don't you think?"

Vigorously, Buttercup shook her head, "No, I'm happy that we haven't seen him, and I don't want that to change."

After a moment of thinking, Blossom sighed, "I agree with you, Buttercup, but we can't dismiss that idea. We're running out of people to choose from."

Suddenly, Buttercup jerked the book out of Blossom's hands and placed it on the table, "If that thing is from Him, then we shouldn't touch it." she gave Blossom a stern look, "Don't read from it anymore, alright?"

She crossed her arms, "I won't… and besides, I've already read through all of it."

"…Of course you have. Just leave it alone."

Bubbles gave the book a wary look, "I agree. Until we know more about it, we should leave it alone."

Blossom sighed in defeat, "All right, I promise, I won't touch it again."

The girls sat in silence around the book, wondering if some event would suddenly be put into motion.


	2. The Unwanted Reunion

xXx Chapter 2 xXx

xXx The Unwanted Reunion xXx

xXx Bubbles xXx

The buildings of Townsville zipped through her line of sight as she soared over the city. Buttercup kept close to her while Blossom took the lead. The red-haired Powerpuff searched every street they passed with scanning eyes. She was searching for whoever had sent them the book. She had heeded their advice last night; she begrudgingly left the book alone. While she did not read from it again, she had paced the room all night. She also kept revisiting their list of senders. Much to everyone's dismay and annoyance, they were unable to find an answer. On more than one occasion, Buttercup had threatened to burn the book if Blossom didn't stop talking about it. Bubbles could understand Buttercup's annoyance; Blossom seemed obsessed with the book and its sender. Thus, Blossom dragged them all out of bed the next morning in order to search Townsville.

They had been flying around for a few hours, a venture which had yielded nothing of importance. They had circled the city a countless number of times and it was starting to affect Buttercup. Silently, the green eyed Powerpuff brooded beside her. She could probably last a few more minutes before snapping at either her or Blossom. In all honesty, Bubbles was growing tired of their search as well. She sighed. Both sisters knew that Blossom wouldn't leave town until she found at least one villain to question. They could be here all day.

Buttercup finally let out a frustrated groan, "Blossom, we're not getting anywhere."

Blossom gave Buttercup a fleeting glance, "We have to find something. We can't just wait for something to happen."

"What's wrong with waiting? I say we let the book sender come to us."

Blossom gave a sly smile as she responded, "Oh, so you want to play by their rules? Have things unfold when they want them to?"

That easily swayed Buttercup, who fell silent. Bubbles, on the other hand, didn't see the point of merely flying around the city, "I think that we should take action, too, but this is getting us nowhere. Why don't we just go to a hideout? We could start with Mojo."

Blossom's brows furrowed, "If we just barge into lairs, it will be obvious that we're looking for something."

"Not with Mojo. We just sent him to jail, so he shouldn't be home."

Buttercup muttered, "Unless those stupid guards let him have the keys to his cell."

Blossom sighed in defeat, "Alright, but just Mojo's lair. I don't want every villain in town knowing that we're searching for something."

As they flew toward the volcanic observatory, Buttercup made a snide comment; "We've been flying around Townsville for a couple of hours. _Everyone _knows that something is up."

Blossom's cheeks flared, but Bubbles cut in, "It doesn't look that odd. We've patrolled the city like this before."

Buttercup frowned, "Sure, take her side."

Bubbles gave her an exasperated look, "Why do you always think that I take sides?"

She stuck her tongue out in a playful manner, "Because you do."

Blossom gave them a disapproving look as they landed at the base of the volcano, "Focus. We don't have time for games."

"Ah, that's too bad. We'd really like to play."

Blossom's head snapped to the source of the voice, and then a frown tugged at her lips. Brick, with his red and black striped shirt, stood across from them. His red baseball cap still sat on top of his messy red hair. His brothers, Boomer and Butch, stood behind him. They all wore a smirk and had a mischievous glint in their eyes. Like always, they stood with a lazy confidence.

Buttercup took a step forward, "What are you guys doing here? Don't you have some grade school kids to bully?"

The three boys that stood in front of them still had all of their powers, but they didn't try to destroy the town as much as they used to. As Buttercup had said, they were no more than bullies; however, their simple bullying would sometimes escalade to an event that required a call from the mayor. When their tempers exploded, they would fight like they did when they were younger. Despite their willingness to fight, they never actively sought out the Powerpuff Girls. Bubbles was curious about their sudden challenge. She wasn't convinced that this was just a random occurrence. As she glanced at her sisters, she thought that they must be thinking the same thing.

Blossom took a step forward, thus taking control of the conversation away from Buttercup, "What are you three doing here? At Mojo's lair?"

Brick glanced behind him, "We're not here for Mojo."

Blossom did not back down, "Why did you follow us here? It' not like you to start a random fight with us—not anymore."

With Brick's line of sight still directed at the volcano behind him, Buttercup slipped in a snide remark, "Maybe they've reverted back to their simple ways."

As soon as Brick's eyes fell back onto his counterpart, he charged forward with a fist pulled back. No sooner than his feet had left the ground did his brothers follow suit.

When they were mere feet away from the girls, Brick's voice yelled out: "Remember the plan!"

xXx Blossom xXx

She deflected Brick's punch with ease, but there was a considerable amount of strength behind it. As he prepared for another attack, Blossom leapt back and went into a defensive stance. Another charge of raw power came at her; she sidestepped and brought out her leg, effectively tripping Brick. She rose in the air and waited for another attack as he skidded across the ground. As she glanced behind, she saw that Bubbles and Buttercup had been pushed back by Boomer and Butch. Bubbles was in the park a few blocks away, and Buttercup was now in the city. Knowing they could handle their counterparts, she turned her attention back to her attacker. Brick, jumping up from the ground, spit out a mouth full of dirt and then sent an obnoxious smirk at her. Her eyes narrowed as Brick charged at her again.

Were they trying to keep them separated?

Testing her theory, she dashed away from Brick's perusing form and headed in Bubble's direction. As she neared the park, she deliberately slowed down. A hand clamped down on her ankle and she was twirled around before being thrown. By flipping in midair, she landed safely on the patchy ground; dirt and rocks flew around her as she slid to a halt. Her eyes immediately sought out Brick. He still floated in the air, his eyes fixed on the pair of fighters behind him. Bubbles and Boomer were still fighting in the park, which seemed to be good enough Brick. His head snapped back to her and he dashed forward again.

Not convinced with the evidence she had, Blossom sprang up from the ground and marked Buttercup as her next target. In no time at all, Brick was on her heels. She had to know how close she could get to Buttercup. As Brick got dangerously close, she veered to the right and stayed close the buildings around her. Sudden, sharp turns around corners put some distance between Blossom and the red blur that was tracking her. As the sounds of Buttercup's and Butch's battle grew louder, the closer Brick got. The air, which was already pounding against her skin, started to burn as she pushed herself to go even faster. When she turned another corner, she glanced behind her and saw that her pursuer was gone. Her eyes snapped back, but it was too late. Brick came in from the side and hit her hard.

Air left her body as she plummeted to the ground. She wasn't sure how long she fell, but the impact of her crash made her think that had been a long time. As she dragged herself up from the rubble around her, she searched for Brick once more. Again, he was still in the air, a few dozen feet away from her. After shaking the bits of concrete from her hair, she rose in the air and took note of her surroundings. A frown tugged at her lips. Buttercup and Butch were to her right, nearly as far from her as Brick was. The park was no longer in view, but she knew it was still behind Brick.

Why did he throw her deeper into the city?

Blossom looked over to her raven haired sister, "Buttercup, regroup!"

Buttercup gave her an irritated glance and then sent Butch crashing into the pavement below. A green blur of light met up with her, but Blossom lead her further away from the two boys. As the red and green Rowdyruff Boys chased after them, Blossom spoke quickly to her sister.

"This isn't their usual pattern of attack. Something doesn't seem right."

Buttercup glanced behind her, "Yeah, they usually attack us in a group, keep us close together. Are they trying to keep us separated?"

Blossom shook her head, "I thought so at first. When I tried to get to Bubbles, Brick made sure that I didn't reach her. But when I went after you, he just drove me deeper into the city."

After deflecting a few attacks and sending the boys back down to the pavement, Buttercup turned back to Blossom, "He only tried to keep you away from Bubbles…"

Both sisters came to a sudden stop and faced the direction of the park, "We have to get back to Bubbles," said Blossom.

Brick and Butch appeared in front of them, blocking their path, "Yeah, but you're not going anywhere," said Brick in a mocking voice.

Butch drew his arm back for a punch, "We're just getting started."

xXx Bubbles xXx

A graceful backflip allowed Bubbles to avoid an attack that came from Boomer. For whatever reason, Boomer's attacks were weaker than usual, and they were easier to evade. After dodging another attack, she glanced behind her and saw that Blossom was now out of sight. That was odd. She turned her attention back to Boomer; he was barely trying. She gave him a suspicious look and then dashed forward. In vain, he attempted to back away, but she caught hold of his shirt and sent him to the ground. Without another thought, she turned and started after her sister. She wasn't going to waste time fighting Boomer if he wasn't going to take it seriously.

As she kicked off from the ground, she was tackled from behind. Before they could even hit the ground, she kicked Boomer off of her. Bubbles hit the ground more gracefully than Boomer did. The blond Powerpuff was up on her feet while the blond Rowdyruff was still flat on the ground. She smoothed out her dress as she waited for her counterpoint to rise. With more poise than the other Rowdyruff Boys, Boomer jumped up and sent a roundhouse kick in her direction. It was easy enough to dodge, but she stumbled back in her retreat; Boomer crouched down and kicked her feet out from under her.

She prepared herself for another hit, but it never came. Boomer remained in his crouched position, and it seemed like he was lost in his head. He stared at the ground in a passive manner. Slowly, Bubbles stood up and put some distance between them. Without any warning, he stood and gave her a fleeting look before blasting off into the sky. She watched his retreating form in a stunned silence. They had only been fighting for a few minutes. Even odder, they didn't engage in their usual banter. Did he want her to chase him? He had done so before but had never been so subtle about it. A chase would usually be initiated with a challenge.

With a sigh, she started to follow him but stopped short. Her vision started to blur. The trees swayed and went in and out of focus. The sky brightened to a blinding intensity and then dulled to muted hue. Colors of blue, green, and brown twisted and melted together. This cycle continued until it her eyes hurt from the sudden changes. Even the sounds around her faded away. After shaking her head, another change overtook the environment. Slowly, everything started to break down. The vivid colors and shapes that had surrounded her were now a lackluster mass of mush at her feet. The world around her was void of any color or form.

Through all of that, which seemed to last only a few minutes, she remained were she was and waited for the events around her play out. Despite her calm demeanor, her heart was pounding rapidly in her chest. She had no idea what was going on. After taking a calming breath, she searched her dismal surroundings. Nothing caught her eye. As she started to move, the world around her started to change again.

The lifeless goop around her started to bubble, move, and finally take form. Green and brown was introduced back into the picture. Trees, taller and thicker than the ones in the park, sprang forward. Grass and shrubs crawled out of the ground beneath her. The sky above her was blue, but it was partly obscured from her by the canopy of the trees. She gasped in surprise as the area exploded with life. The sounds of birds, insects, and various other animals encircled her. Everything was simply beautiful. Simply foreign. Before a smile dared to show itself, she shook her head and searched the area again. She had seen this before; it was just an illusion.

In a voice that shook too much for comfort, she called out: "Where are you? Stop hiding."

A long moment of silence stretched out; the noise of the forest disappeared and then a familiar voice responded, "_Why, my dear Bubbles, I put a lot of effort into making this world for you. You could at least smile._"

Her blue eyes widened, even though she had expected this, "It's been over a year since we've you. Why are you back now?" Her voice was a little less shaky, but her heart beat was loud in her ears.

A red, smoky fog poured out from the trees that surrounded her. She took in a quick breath and held it, waiting for the unavoidable. Even though she had come across Him many times, his appearance and demeanor always made her flinch. This time was no different. His demonic form stepped forward from the swirls of red, but the glow from his feline eyes had been visible within the thick of the fogy smoke. Those unsettling eyes were steady and unblinking. He came closer and closer, but she was held there by the entrapping eyes he had always had. Whether it was some kind of dark magic, or the inhuman quality, everyone was vulnerable to those eyes. The Powerpuff Girls were no exception.

The thought of her sisters gave her the resolve to move; she jumped back and averted her eyes away from his. She had to get to Blossom and Buttercup. Even with the combined strength of the three Powerpuff Girls, Him was a difficult opponent. Regardless of how strong she had come to be, she knew she couldn't drive this monster away on her own. And he was a monster, despite his humanoid form. As for his form, he hadn't changed in the year that had passed. He hadn't changed since their first encounter. He still wore the same red and fluffy dress, along with the thigh high boots. If one didn't know how horrifying this creature could be, his appearance would be comical. To those who knew of him, his attire is simply terrifying.

His permanent smirk was spread widely across his features, "_You look quit scared, Bubbles. I haven't even done anything. You're hurting my feelings; I thought you would be happy to see me_." He feigned an expression of hurt and betrayal.

Her eyes narrowed at his devious remark, "I can't hurt what isn't there…"

'Hate' had always been a strong and forbidden word for her, but it accurately described the feelings she had for this fiend. While she disliked having such strong, negative feelings, it was nothing her sisters had ever blamed her for. They could relate to it but not to the same villain. Blossom and Buttercup had the same type of feelings for Mojo Jojo. It all had to do with betrayal. When the three of them had put their faith in Mojo, it had ended in disaster. It ended in a bitterness that always stayed with her sisters. For a long time, she had shared that sentiment of animosity with her sisters; however, it faded away when she met Him.

Even though she hadn't known it was Him, she had trusted him. Octi, which he had possessed, had her trust. When her sisters were constantly fighting, the time spent with 'Octi' had been precious to her. Her purple friend served as a safe haven, as something she could always go to. There wasn't anything that she didn't tell Octi. That had been true long before the incident with Him, so when Octi started to talk to her, she didn't pull away. When the magic shattered, when Him revealed himself, part of her reality seemed to shatter with it. A tiny bit of her trust and faith had been permanently erased that day. The pain she felt from that betrayal had trumped what she felt for Mojo. It took her a long time to put what had happened behind her.

No sooner than she had pushed past that did Him use her again. After running away from Pokey Oaks, due to Buttercup's teasing, Him came to her in the form of a butterfly. That was when she had learned to express her feelings in a negative way. When the chalk monsters she drew came to live and started attacking, she still had hoped that the butterfly would come to her aid. The butterfly did come back, but Him soon abandoned that disguise. She felt the pain of betrayal all over again. When that incident ended, the feelings of anger and pain still remained.

She would not let that emotionless demon use her again.

As she looked at the monster before her, she struggled with the decision she would have to make. She could stay and fight him by herself, but the odds weren't in her favor. Neither Buttercup nor Blossom could fight him single handed. Her second option was to fly away in an attempt to reach her sisters. With three, the odds of victory increased. The second plan held her favor, but she doubted that Him would let her get very far. As she recalled Boomer's quick departure, she became certain that the boys were working under orders from Him. Him separated them and then singled one out. Her chest tightened as she decided to stand her ground.

As she prepared herself for an attack, Him spoke again, "_I'm not here to fight you, dear Bubbles_."

She didn't want to humor him, but knew it would be dangerous not to, "Then why are you here?" Her stomach squirmed as his smirk widened.

"_I have come to make a challenge._"

She groaned inwardly, "We don't like your challenges."

He shrugged, "_I know, but it would be in your best interest to accept this one_."

"You never give us much of a choice."

He waved his claw in a casual manner, "_You've found the book, correct?_"

She just barely suppressed a gasp, "You sent us the book?"

"_Yes. Would you like to know what the challenge is now?_"

She gulped down her growing nervousness, "What is it you want us to do?"

He suddenly disappeared, which caused a gasp to pass from her lips. Before she had time to search for him, she felt him reappear behind her. He had done that so many times that she could easily recognize the feeling. She could feel the unnatural heat that radiated from his body, even though a chill always ran through her. He also has a distinctive smell; it was spicy and made her nose burn. Overall, it was unpleasant, and it currently had her frozen in place. She could tell that he was close, but there wasn't any contact.

"_It's simple, really. There are seven virtues, which you and your sisters will collect. And there are seven sins, which I will collect. The first one to obtain all seven wins._"

She fought the desire to move away from him, "And what happens if we lose?"

"_Oh, nothing good, I assure you._"

"What if we win?"

"_Then nothing bad happens. I think that sounds fair._"

She frowned, "Fine, but how do we find them?"

"_There are clues in the book. Any more questions?_"

"…No."

"_Excellent. I imagine we'll run across each other while on our quests, which will only make things more interesting._" he took a step back, "The game begins now."

Red fog cascaded down around her and clouded her vision. After a fit of coughing, the smog cleared to reveal the park. The illusion Him made had vanished, along with the red demon himself. For the first time since Him appeared, she allowed herself to breathe fully. She closed her eyes and took calming breaths. She hated being alone with that monster, more so than her sisters. As she recovered from the encounter, she remembered all of the lies Him had told her over the years. As long as they were playing a game with Him, they weren't safe. She was startled from her thoughts and doubts by someone landing down beside her.

Blossom rushed to her side, "Are you alright, Bubbles?"

Buttercup joined in, "Did Boomer run off on you, too? Brick and Butch just stopped fighting with us and took off a moment ago."

Blossom hushed Buttercup as she noticed Bubble's worried expression, "What's the matter, Bubbles?"

She took a deep breath, "Him was here."

Blossom's countenance mirrored her own, while Buttercup's turned hard. With more calm than she felt, she explained what Him had said and what they needed to do. At the end of her story, Buttercup kicked the ground in annoyance and Blossom seemed lost in her own head. Under any other circumstances, Blossomed would have been delighted to learn who had sent them the book, but her look was pensive. She didn't like Him's games any more than Bubbles or Buttercup.

Finally, Blossom spoke, "Since the 'game' has already started, we should get back to the book and see what we can find out."

Solemnly, both Buttercup and Bubbles nodded in agreement. As they flew back to their house, Bubbles became lost in her negative thoughts again, so she didn't see the concerned looks that Blossom kept sending her. Before she knew it, they were going through the front door of their house and giving the Professor a short greeting. Once they got to their room, Blossom immediately opened the book and beckoned her sisters to join her.

Buttercup sat on the edge of the desk, "So, there are clues in the book? Did you see any of these clues when you read it, Blossom?"

She nodded, "I think so. There were little poems or riddles under the description of each virtue. Those could be what Him was referring to," she glanced up at Bubbles, "Are you alright?"

The blond Powerpuff blinked in surprise, "You already asked me that."

She gave another concerned look, "Right, but you didn't answer."

Buttercup crossed her arms over her chest, "We know how you feel about Him… and you seem pretty shook up."

She forced a smile that they didn't buy, "I'll be fine, and the sooner you read the first riddle, the sooner we can end this. And I want to end this as soon as possible."

Blossom didn't turn back to the book, "Even though Him told you that we would be seeing him again, I don't think we'll be seeing a lot of him. He has his sins to collect, and that should keep him busy."

Buttercup nodded, "And when he does show his ugly face, we'll be there with you. We won't let him hurt you again."

She felt the urge to cry. Over the years, she had shared how hurt she was by all of Him's games. Buttercup, who loved to tease her, was always there for her. Despite her lax nature, Buttercup was very proactive over her more sensitive sister. Buttercup would gladly punch anyone who upset her, and Blossom would always give a lecture that would annoy the target. She gave a real smile this time and nodded her head.

"Right. Now, show us the first clue, Blossom."

The three sisters gathered around the book and searched for the riddle that was hidden in the description of Liberty.


End file.
